Deepening Israeli Rift over Controversial Gaza ‘Concentration Camp’ Plan

A proposed encampment for 600,000 Palestinians in southern Gaza faces legal, political, and military opposition, with critics branding it a war crime and a blueprint for ethnic cleansing.

Palestine, PUREWILAYAH.COM - A controversial Israeli plan to forcibly relocate up to 600,000 Palestinians into a heavily restricted encampment near the Egyptian border has drawn widespread condemnation. Marketed as a “humanitarian city,” the project is seen by critics as a deliberate scheme of ethnic cleansing.

Approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and spearheaded by Security Minister Israel Katz, the plan would confine Palestinians to an isolated zone with no realistic path of return, allowing only departures to third countries.

The proposal aims to strip displaced Palestinians of their right to return and further entrench Israel’s ongoing war crimes in Gaza.

“It Is a Concentration Camp”: Former PM Olmert’s Blunt Warning

Breaking ranks with the far-right Israeli government, former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert condemned the proposal in stark terms: “It is a concentration camp. I am sorry.” He went further to say, “If Palestinians were forced to move to the camp, it would create a concentration camp… This is part of an ethnic cleansing.”

His comments prompted a wave of personal attacks rather than thoughtful engagement. “Heritage” Minister Amichai Eliyahu responded by invoking Olmert’s past imprisonment, seeking to discredit him without addressing the substance of his warning.

Military Dissent: IOF Chief Opposes Netanyahu’s Push

The proposed displacement has triggered serious internal dissent within the Israeli military.

Channel 12 reports that IOF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir voiced his opposition during a closed-door security cabinet meeting, warning that the forced transfer would divert critical resources from military operations and captives recovery efforts.

He further cautioned that such actions could constitute war crimes under international law. His office reiterated that the mass displacement of civilians is not the military’s role—especially amidst growing legal scrutiny from domestic and international human rights organizations.

Strategic, Economic, and Diplomatic Blowback

Despite warnings from top military officials, Netanyahu reportedly rejected the army’s suggested timeline and budget, insisting on an accelerated operation.

The plan could cost Israeli taxpayers up to 15 billion shekels per year, straining public services such as health, education, and welfare.

Diplomatically, the initiative has undermined ongoing ceasefire negotiations. Hamas officials have rejected the plan outright, calling it a “deliberately obstructive demand.”

Senior Hamas figure Husam Badran condemned it as a thinly veiled effort to derail talks and permanently ghettoize Gaza’s population.

Behind the Rhetoric: Death, Devastation, and Collective Punishment

As the displacement plan unfolds, Israeli war crimes continue to mount. On Sunday alone, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 31 civilians across Gaza, including children gathered near aid distribution points.

A Reuters report confirmed that on July 13, eight children were killed in al-Nuseirat while collecting water—an attack Israel dismissed as a “technical malfunction.”

According to the UN, more than 798 Palestinians have been killed while trying to access aid. Over 58,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, with 1.7 million displaced, many repeatedly.

Despite this catastrophe, Israeli leaders continue to frame their actions in humanitarian terms. As Olmert stated clearly, “When they build a camp where they ‘clean’ more than half of Gaza, then the inevitable understanding is that it is not to save [Palestinians]. It is to deport them, to push them, and to throw them away.” (PW)

Source: Al-Mayadeen